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Other Newspapers from Athens, Alabama

Other Editions from Thursday, December 29, 2005

Athens News Courier (Newspaper) - December 29, 2005, Athens, Alabama For starters Recipes for hors d’ouvres for your New Year’s Eve party 9A Bringin’ the fight Athens girls battle it out at River City Classic IB Пе News-Couríer Sermng Athens and Limestone Colntm A Commi nitv oe Tradition and Fi n re I HDRsow, Dkc:cmbi:r 29.2005 enewscourier.com шт ШШШ ^ CrCrd fw O’'b a Сгащ О Subscriber of the dav moFF He&gt;, Sound Off: Things to make you think: There were 39 combat-related killings in Iraq in .lanuary. In Detroit, there were 35 murders in .lanuary. That's just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq. Some claim that Bush should never have started this war because Iraq did not attack this country. Take note; I- DR led us into World War 11 although (iermany never attacked us .lapan did. Truman started the Korean War although North Korea nev er atiacked us. .lohn 1. Kenned) started the V'ietnam war although Vietnam never attacked us. C linton went to war in Bosnia without United Nations consent. Bosnia never attacked us. In the years since terrorists attacked the U.S.. Bush has liberated two countries and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 3()(),()0() of his own people. More Sound Off Valley, 5A Clct the news with your morning coitec SubscrifK- to The \ews-Oniner 2.^2-2^20 Index Classified 4-6B Comics • 3B Ledger ..........5A Business 11A Obituaries 2A Julia Camilla Day Edna Springer Favors Anna Louise Moffatt Sports.........1-2B Daily Bible Moment ^nc/ge not, that \'ou not he judged. Mattheiv 7:1 Limestone Chape M 322 Них. .0 N • VtheDs 256-2.12-1Ü51 Obit line 256-771-&lt;W.U 7 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;69847 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;00001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Man jailed for beating wife, baby Police say victims were treated at Athens Hospital, later released BV SOWV I t RNFR sonny a athcnsncw's-coiiricr.coni .Athens police have arrested a 27-year-old .Athens man v\ho is accused of beating his wife and 1-year-old daughter with his fists, Dctective-Sgt. Trevor Harris said the mother and child were treated at Athens-Limestone Hospital and released Tuesdav. He said the child was hit in the back of the head. The mother. 27-year-old Michelle Esquivel, had injuries to the head, stomach and back. .Arrested and charged with child abuse, a felony, is Mateo Guateloupe. of 1011 North Madison St.. .Athens. Guateloupe was arrested after the Limestone County Department of Human Resources and police were called in to investigate. &quot;The mother took the baby to the emergency room and v\hen thev determined there that both appeared to hav e been beaten, they called police and DHR and we (¡iiatoloupc became involved.&quot; Harris said When Dffieer C harles C'lem went to the suspect’s home to question him. investigators said the suspect gave the officer a false name. He was later charged with giving a false name to a law enfoivement officer. Harris said DHR had to call a translator in and troni tliat translator, they, along with police, were able to develop the story involv ing the beatings. &quot;We believe she has been abused for a while.” said Harris. &quot;She told us that this was not the first time. She said he had hit her with his fists and liad been kicking her.&quot; Harris said Ciiiateloupe was transferred to the eountv Jail Wednesday. No bond had been set. Siegelman pleads ‘not guilty’ Bv Bob .loiiNsos Assocuncii t^rcss ITrikT MONTCiO.ME R) I ormer .Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and HealthSouth C orp. founder Richard Scrushy both proclaimed their innocence on government corruption charges at a hearing Wednesday. ‘A'our honor. I plead not guilty,&quot; Siegelman told U.S. Magistrate U.S. Magistrate .ludge Vanzetta McPherson. &quot;.Absolutely not guilty.” Seriishy said when asked for his plea. It was the second arraignment for Siegelman. Scrushy and two former members of SiegelmaiTs C abinet, lAuil Hamrick and •Mack Roberts. The first came after a federal grand jury in October indicted Siegelman and the other defendants. Federal prosecutors said the charges stemmed from “a widespread racketeering conspiracy&quot; in which state officials traded officiai actions for money and gifts. The second arraignment became necessary after the grand jury issued a nev\ indictment earlier this month, e.xpanding the charges against Siegelman and Scrushy. &quot;1 low many more times do they want me to say if'.’&quot; Siegelman said outside court. &quot;I am not guilty once, not guilty twice. They have not changed the charges. I am still not guilty.&quot; Siegelman is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2&lt;H)6 and has accused prosecutors of trynng to derail his campaign. Scrushy. acquitted m a massive fraud at HealthSouth. claims tlic charges are government retaliation. Hamrick, who served as SiegelmaiTs chief of staff and Roberts, a former state transpoifation director, also pleaded not auiltv. AP Phixto Former Alabama governor Don Siegelman walks with his daughter Dana, left, and wife, Lori, after pleading not guilty to government corruption charges during an arraignment Wednesday in Montgomery. Fun at Kid’s Dugout News-Courier/K i m Ryndcrs Faye Bendall pushes her grandchildren, Taylor and Will Reichard, in a tire swing at Kid’s Dugout Wednesday. The children live in Birmingham but are visiting their grandparents, Faye and Jim Bendall, of Athens, while they are out of school for the holidays. Officers to set up traffic stops or New Year’s Bv r.vsmA Eovi i I lashia'Li athensncws-coiiricr.com Drinkers beware. .Alliens Police and l imestone ( oiinty Sheritfs deputies will be out in force patrolling this holiday weekend looking for drunk drivers. .Athens Police will be conducting roadblocks on Friday anti Saturday in .Athens. ( apt. fracy 1 larrison said the depaHmcnt plans to work 20 additional otficcrs including reserve otficers with a goal to stop all drunk drivers. Limestone C ount) Sheriff Mike Blakely said he also has ordered e.xtra patrollers working both speeders and driuik drivers. But the sherilf said a roadblock is not the only way those in V lolalion of the law could get caught this coming weekend. W bile drivers need always to have these things available, hav ing your driver s license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration handy will speed along the process when stopped at a roadblock, officers said. Harrison said the main focus of the roadblocks for Athens Police is Du I. See Traffic stops. Page 2A Neill’s new job: Helping Limestone County veterans Bv Tasuia I.ov ei.l tasluu(ayuhensne\vs-counet:com Athens resident Richard Neill is no stranger to military’ relations. He is a Vietnam veteran and is retired from the Air Force. Now, his job is helping veterans through his position Veterans Service Officer Limestone County, a title that he has had for 18 months. Limestone County has approximately 6,400 veterans and the VA assists those veterans as far back as World Wfrr II and as of through the current war in Iraq. “Our sole purpose of being here is to serve veterans,” Neill said adding the primary way to serve them is to assist them with filing claims with the Veterans Administration. Before beginning his current position, Neill retired from Region’s Bank, where he w’orked 29 years. He was retired for a year before taking his new job. “After retinng 1 was not ready to quit work. I wanted to go into something that would be (a) ser- vice to the community or to .. .the people and that’s what our job here is,&quot; Neill said. “Our community that we serve is our veterans iind their dependents.” The person that had the job previous to Neill resigned and went back to college full time, freeing up the position at a good time for Neill. The office was set up at the end of World War 11, Neill said See Neill, Page 2A News-C ouncr,Tashia Lovell Richard Neill is now Limestone County’s Veterans Service Officer.